tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72002930191714136042024-02-18T22:27:04.234-08:00Out of the drawer and into printOne writer's step by step journey into self publishing.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-36390953135797111292012-12-16T10:11:00.000-08:002012-12-16T10:11:33.241-08:00The Next Big ThingAfter a long break, the blog is back! An inspiring fellow writer, Gillian Wallace, tagged me to take part in The Next Big Thing,, a literary blog interview. In The Next Big Thing, writers answer ten questions about their work-in-progress, then tag five of their writer friends to do the same. <br />
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<strong>What is the working title of your book?</strong><br />
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The Third Road. It comes from a quotation from Mao Zedong: "All Chinese without exception must lean either to the side of socialism or to the side of imperialism. Sitting on the fence will not do, nor is there is a third road." But the main character of my novel, Zhao Ya Yin, seeks that third road. <br />
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<strong>Where did the idea come from for the book?</strong><br />
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My uncle was a member of the British Special Branch police force in what was then called Malaya, in the 1950s and 60s, during the emergency there. In Malaya, he and his wife had servants and a fairly upscale kind of lifestyle. When they returned to England, they had to live in a drab council flat and he had to take a job as a nightime security guard. The contrast interested me, and I began to write about that, but after about one hundred pages, I realized it was not working. However, by this time, I had done a fair bit of research, and I was very interested in that historical timeframe. A young Chinese girl named Zhao surfaced as a character I wanted to write about, a girl who was uprooted by the British and who eventually became a Communist geurilla. <br />
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<strong>What genre does your book fall under?</strong><br />
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It is a literary work, and historical fiction. <br />
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<strong>Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?</strong><br />
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I am not all that up on Chinese actors, so that is a tough one. For the main British character, I think Kate Winslett would be perfect. <br />
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<strong>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</strong><br />
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After having survived both the Japanese occupation and the forcible relocation of her village by the British, a young Chinese girl joins the Communist geurillas fighting from inside the jungle.<br />
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<strong>Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?</strong><br />
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I do have an agent and I hope that with her support we can find a traditional publisher. <br />
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<strong>How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?</strong><br />
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I have been researching and working on this book for nearly five years. <br />
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<strong>What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?</strong><br />
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The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill springs to mind, another tale of survival. Also, curiously, The Good Earth, by Pearl Buck, for the simplicity of style and the profound nature of the message. <br />
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<strong>Who or what inspired you to write the book?</strong><br />
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As above, the experiences of my uncle, but ultimately, the personality of my main character, as well as my interest in the futility of war. <br />
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<strong>What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?</strong><br />
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The 12 year "emergency" in Malaya, which was basically a war, is a little-known period of history. Documents are still being released today, revealing the truth some of the myths surrounding what happened there. In fact, a law suit by survivors has been in the news recently concerning allegations of a British massacre at Batang Kali during the emergency in Malaya. Apparently 24 innocent villagers were shot by British forces. So I guess the historical aspect, as well as interest in a female character who becomes a geurilla. <br />
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And now, visit these links to see what these wonderful writers are working on: (names and links to follow). <br />
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Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-79727244456244600082012-03-09T08:18:00.000-08:002012-03-09T08:18:04.682-08:00Amazon nightmareI wanted to alert writers to a potential problem on Amazon. I was delighted, as a result of starting a small ad campaign on Goodreads, to get hundreds of potential readers interested in my book, and I even got a request from a reader in the US who wanted to include my book in their book club. Yay! The only problem, the reader noted, was the somewhat steep $85 price tag on Amazon.com. Yikes! My book is supposed to sell for $12.99! But sure enough, when I went on the site there was a third party re-seller offering my book for $85 and no mention of my $12.99 price tag. After many e-mails and calls I discovered that the problem originated when I asked CreateSpace to send me copies of the PDF's for my book so I could convert it to e-book format. Instead of sending me copies they pulled the whole thing and left the status of my book as "incomplete", making it impossible to order. Then the third party re-sellers stepped into the vaccuum and began charging what they liked. There are now 4 sellers on there doing the same thing. This is really scary. I am now having to re-start the process again with CreateSpace, which hopefully won't take too long, and I have contacted each of the re-sellers to ask them politely to charge what is appropriate for my book. The sad thing is that I have probably already lost hundreds of sales, and my Goodreads ad campaign, which produced many potential readers, probably killed off any interest once the readers got on the Amazon site. Amazon does not take responsibility for what third party sellers want to charge, so there is no protection. As a self published author, it is hard enough to make one's name out there and find readers, but when this sort of thing happens also, it is heartbreaking. Just wanted to let people know about this potentially horrible situation that happened through no fault of my own!Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-46603558921896190852012-01-18T10:31:00.000-08:002012-01-18T10:31:56.101-08:00The long tail or the short shrift? Thoughts on literary self publishing<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 2.85pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Internet is buzzing with advice about self publishing. Money- making sites that promise to promote your book are springing up faster than vampire sequels. Amanda Hocking has become a kind of folk hero to writers rejected by traditional publishers. E-books promise fortune and fame at 99 cents a book for those prepared to go it alone. But what does it really mean to self publish your book? Many newspapers have a strict policy of not reviewing self published books. Many readers still assume that self published books are badly written (otherwise why wouldn’t anyone publish them?). Most major literary awards shut out self published books at the start by making them ineligible. Many libraries refuse to stock a self published book unless it has had good reviews from a legitimate source. So what does this mean for self published books which are well written, well edited, well designed, and which do not fall into the how-to or self help mainstream or the genre category? How do the self published literary works rise above the bustling sea of popular or commercial writing and get noticed? Without reviews, without awards, without the legitimacy of a traditional publisher – how in the world will these new writers be discovered? I find this an interesting paradox. We are told repeatedly how open, democratic and free the self publishing world is. Hey, in America, anyone can become the President! Yet the traditional outlets still exert considerable control over what people are actually exposed to, and thus what they might actually read. Newspapers, literary journals, libraries, bloggers, literary awards -- places potential readers look to for new books and authors. So until we gain some legitimacy in the traditional channels, the world of self publishing for certain kinds of writing still has a ways to go. Thoughts?</span></span></div>Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-10068555536987255712011-12-29T16:01:00.000-08:002011-12-29T16:01:11.805-08:00Isn't a good book enough anymore?As the new year approaches, I find myself torn. The year 2011 was a watershed year for me as a writer, having published a novel I wrote more than ten years ago. So far, readers love it, and I am ecstatic to be able to offer it in print. I also started a blog, designed my own website, opened a twitter account, and created a google alert on self publishing. The marketing phenomenon that is Three Women/Three Books was born, with fellow writers Nerys Parry and Jasmine Aziz. With a precious few holiday hours I put in some serious writing time on the new book, The Third Road, about a young girl in Malaysia in the 1950s who becomes a Communist geurrilla. It's all good, right? So why oh why, on the eve of the eve of the eve, am I torn? Because I need to make a decision if I am to finish the second book before I sign up for lessons on how to use a walker. Seriously. The commitment of time needed to finish a book, as any writer will tell you, is enormous. But as a self published author, I need to market myself. Those Google alerts are killing me....every day there are a good ten articles telling me what I should be doing to get my name out there. But a morning spent blogging, tweeting, posting, not to mention being a polite networker, which means reading a lot of other people and commenting and so on, is a morning spent, well, not writing the next book, the one you hope incorprates everything you learned from writing the first one. And what if that morning is all you have for that week, in between working full time, looking after elderly parents, spending some time with your immediate family, shopping, cooking, cleaning, walking the dog, paying the bills...what if that morning is all you have? I think I need to spend it doing what fuels my passion for living....writing. If there is any spare time leftover, I will do some marketing. Otherwise, I will be promoting a hollow and inauthentic self, even if that self is well connected by social media standards. Thoughts? And while I am here, may I wish everyone a splendid 2012, filled with joy, good health, and creativity.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-78581875213665588662011-12-15T08:26:00.000-08:002011-12-15T08:26:22.940-08:00Marketing the self-published book...divided loyaltiesI am awash with divided loyalties....every day I am made aware by the flood of information about how to market my book that I am not doing everything I could! of course, I could be doing it 24 hours a day! Blogging, tweeting, networking, giving away, posting, etc etc etc. As someone pointed out on Facebook the other day -- you guys are everywhere!!! Referring to the publicity phenomenon that is Three Women/Three Books. Ergo...here is a nice article from Ottawa This Week....<a href="http://www.emcottawasouth.ca/20111215/news/Authors+find+three+heads+better+than+one">http://www.emcottawasouth.ca/20111215/news/Authors+find+three+heads+better+than+one</a> Together, as a threesome, Jasmine Aziz, Nerys Parry and I have managed to crack the CBC (Talking Taboos), get coverage throughout the city, and show up just about everywhere we could! We are a quirky threesome, and that gets attention. We are, however, having trouble getting a review in The Citizen, with the exception of Jasmine....who says sex doesn't sell? And while we were happy to be talking the unholy triumvirate of sex, politics and religion on All in a Day, we have all tried to get a feature profile on each of our books individually without success. Are we being taken seriously as authors? Female authors? Driving home last night I enjoyed the interview with Matthew Firth on his new book of short stories on....All In A Day. Alan Neal is a brilliant interviewer. But I have had two CBC producers try to sell an interview with me on my new book, without success, and I know Nerys' publisher and Jasmine have also tried. Why is this? The last book interview I heard on All in a Day was with Mark Frutkin. I love Mark's work, but can't help but notice....another guy. Prior to that it was Frances Itani, but she is in the big leagues -- you can't ignore her. But what about supporting writers who are starting out? Hmmm. The people at The Ottawa Citizen who look after reviews are....guys. This all disturbs me...looking at reviewers in the major papers here and in the US, top heavy with men, winners of the Canada Reads contest, and so on. There seems to be a double standard. Let's hope I am wrong.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-3612532484998865582011-11-17T11:38:00.000-08:002011-11-17T11:38:46.392-08:00Getting reviewed: the deafening silenceGreetings gentle readers. Happy to announce that the Three Women, Three Books reading and panel discussion at Library and Archives Canada was an awesome success! I was delighted to be sharing the stage with Jasmine Aziz, author of Sex and Samosas, and Nerys Parry, author of Man and other Natural Disasters. We had a lot of excellent questions about the pros and cons of traditional vs self publishing, a lively discussion, and of course, animated readings from three very different books. So now on to reviewing. As a result of sending our press releases and backgrounders, I got a few nibbles for review copies, which I dutifully sent out. But now I have been faced with a deafening silence...everyone said they were looking forward to reading the book, and hopefully doing a review or a profile, and now....nothing. Am I too impatient? I know it isn't because of the quality of the book....so far reader reviews have been wonderful. So why should I care? Because I want to reach people....a wider set of readers, and sometimes a good review is all it takes. More on this soon, but for now, it seems a frustrating business, after all the hooplah of the launch and the anticipated success of the book. Thoughts?Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-32570835328310404462011-10-12T06:54:00.000-07:002011-10-12T06:54:06.773-07:00Goodreads author programWell, it has been while, as I know you are tired of hearing but I am ecstatic to report that I had a fantastic book launch at the Raw Sugar Café and I am now in the process of trying to get my book out to a wider audience. I sent out media advisories and press releases, which netted me interest from two magazines and a weekly newspaper, as well as some interest from the CBC, although in the end All in a Day did not pick it up. Oh well, once I win the Leacock, hahaha. Meanwhile, I have been checking out the Goodreads Author Program, which is great fun for booklovers everywhere -- writers, readers, reviewers, of which many of us are all three! Through this program you can participate in an online Q&A session with your readers, publicize upcoming events, share excerpts, post videos, and recommend books, among other things. Check out my profile, which is still in progress, and if you feel inclined, become a fan! Thanks....<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/652387.Sandra.Nicholls">www.goodreads.com/author/show/652387.Sandra.Nicholls</a>Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-31646922339312412522011-09-01T08:23:00.000-07:002011-09-01T08:23:51.045-07:00Canada Post strikes againI have been heartened to receive emails and Facebook messages from friends across the country who want to read <em>And the Seas Shall Turn to Lemonade. </em>However, I had not bargained for the greed of Canada Post. My book fits nicely in a small bubble envelope, and innocently I set off to post one to a friend in the Maritimes, with an invoice for $15, the selling price of the book. Canada Post charged me $12 to post it. No express delivery. No special priority. Just regular mail. Add that to the cost for me to purchase the book for sale, and I find myself in the ridiculous position of losing money on the sale of a book. I am now going to have to rethink things. Even if I charge shipping costs, if I charged enough to make it worthwhile it brings the cost of the book into the prohibitive range. Suddenly the ebook format seems especially appealing. Which I will do eventually. But for all of you out there who want to read it in a print form, and hold the book in your hands, please order it through the following link -- it will be the best for me as the author: <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3562582">https://www.createspace.com/3562582</a> . Anyone with thoughts or suggestions to share in this regard? I would love to hear from you....Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-17998952091729365572011-08-31T19:06:00.000-07:002011-08-31T19:06:58.770-07:00Amazon customer reviewWell, my book is on Amazon.com and I now have a five star customer rating and review. Honest! But still, who really knows the book is there (except you, faithful blog readers). I have many promotional ideas but also want to ensure that if these efforts succeed, people will be able to actually walk into a bookstore and buy it. This involves the kind of thing writers hate: selling themselves. But sell I must, and apparently, I must also "populate the inventory" of Amazon.ca if I want my book to be available there. In plain english, send them copies. And as far as book retailers such as Chapters go, there is a distribution company associated with Createspace, but the choice as to whether the retailer takes the book is up the the retailer. So it is up to me to convince that bookseller that I will bring people to their door to buy my book. Chicken, egg, chicken, egg. I have now prepared a press kit, I have a snazzy author photo, and I never leave home without ten copies in the trunk! One never knows. More soon, on the promo journey, the hardest part of this whole equation so far. And of course what I want to do now is work on novel number two, but there isn't enough time, because I am trying to sell this one. Go figure. Book launch, by the way, October 5 at the Raw Sugar Cafe in Ottawa. See you there.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-77689596536077473552011-08-14T08:22:00.000-07:002011-08-14T08:22:06.858-07:00THE BOOK IS OUT!!!!!!It is with tremendous excitement and a slight amount of pride that I can announce today the book is out: on Amazon, in a box in my office, and on my createspace estore!!!!!!! Now it is time for shameless self promotion.....and the organizing of a book launch. I will be blogging about this too....what I learn, what works, what to avoid. At the moment it sits in a lonely virtual space undiscovered.....so it's up to me, and to you, dear readers, to change this and put Tabitha and Nathaniel into the lexicon of quirky and unforgettable Canadian characters! If you want to order a copy for a friend, or if you just can't wait for the launch, or you live out of town, or whatever, you can order from Amazon.com or my createspace estore, at <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3562582">https://www.createspace.com/3562582</a> . The good thing about the store is higher royalties for me, but Amazon sales are also good. Remember, Christmas is coming. Hahahaha. More soon -- now I am trying to discover how to get the Search Inside feature put on my book on Amazon.com, and also sign on for Author Central and Listmania. More soon.....with much excitement, I bid you adieu. Oh, and here is a funny story...when I was typing in my name on Amazon.com to see if the book was listed, I kept getting this sub-listing: Sandra Nichols found dead!!!!! I checked it out -- it is actually someone's novel -- can you believe it!!!I feel like ordering it for a, well, a souvenir????? LOL. Anyway, help keep me alive folks and order my book!!!!! Ciao....more soon on the launch date and location. Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-23523493082126960792011-07-18T10:24:00.000-07:002011-07-18T10:24:22.311-07:00The book arrives!!!!The actual physical book arrived, and it is a joyful thing. I can't really describe how different it is to see the thing in book form, as opposed to "flat" covers and pages.....I started to read it, since I must now approve the book itself, and it felt like a new work, something different, another life form! Createspace did a terrific job -- it looks perfect. The paper quality is excellent, all the lines are straight and even, the finishing is clean, the cover looks awesome, it is everything I could have hoped for and more. Now if the IRS would only send me my tax identification number I could be off and running....ordering copies for the launch and starting to market. I think I will get that started anyway. Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for reading my blog and keeping me honest -- couldn't have done it without that. And I have to say, about this self publishing thing -- it is an incredible high you get when you look at the book and realize you did it all yourself -- took all the chances, made the decisions, carried the process forward...fanfuckingtastic. More soon on my adventures in self promotion!Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-54961942146213979562011-07-11T09:38:00.000-07:002011-07-11T09:38:45.031-07:00Five days to a book!Physical proof has been shipped.....and promised within five business days. Can't wait to see it in book form. I will let you know more about the quality of the book once it arrives -- paper, cover stock, and all that cool stuff.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-7681531010157397942011-06-30T09:42:00.000-07:002011-06-30T09:42:05.141-07:00Cover uploaded to CreatespaceHallelujah! The final pdf of the cover has been uploaded to Createspace, with the spine adjusted for the total number of pages and the spot for the barcode ready and waiting. LAST STEP BEFORE PRINTING!!!! Busy planning the launch now, which will be complete with words, music, wine and treats. And I was just interviewed on the radio, with hubby Roddy Ellias, about how we worked together to create the songs on Roddy"s latest CD, Acts of Light. Listen to CBC In Town and Out between 7 and 9 Saturday morning, July 2. Whoo hoo....and now the fun begins.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-72597971774258815502011-06-22T08:24:00.001-07:002011-06-22T08:24:25.645-07:00FINAL PROOFS APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I just approved the final proofs of the interior......I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Completion is in sight.....Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-73734850846070420182011-06-19T17:25:00.000-07:002011-06-19T17:25:42.078-07:00Interior proofs -- finito!Createspace returned the proofs based on my corrected edited text within a week, and they look fantastic. Now we know the page count -- a respectable 220 pages -- so we can adjust the cover in terms of the spine size. Cruising in on the last few steps in terms of getting ready to print anyway. I had about 7 corrections to make, and they will make up to 20 for free. There is a standard form they provide online for corrections, but I had already put them on a separate sheet, which they accepted ( again, as a one time courtesy). Next time I will know. Next thing to adjust is the size of the space left for the barcode. I generated the barcode easily enough (the numbers) but the actual bar design I decided to leave up to them. It is a free service, but the size may be a little large. We shall see. Of course I must now take in a deep breath as I realize that the biggest challenge of all -- marketing -- awaits me now. Endless and ruthless and shameless self promotion, always a hard landscape for writers to navigate, writers being people who prefer skulking in the shadows, writing. More soon --Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-81390549089603938642011-06-03T10:10:00.000-07:002011-06-03T10:10:46.219-07:00uploading the manuscriptAfter a prolonged absence, blog girl has returned. All the errors in the manuscript have been fixed, and ater Createspace kindly agreed to let me upload again, as a one-time courtesy, we are back on track. Design proofs will be sent to me made on the revised manuscript. Again, I need to reiterate that CreateSpace has been both professional and humane in allowing me to do this -- resulting in a better product for both of us. I guess it just goes to show you though how important it is to proofread again and again and again, at every stage. Still not sure how some of the errors were introduced, but I would have been heartbroken had they remained in the book, after having worked so hard to ensure the manuscript was flawless, at least as far as being grammatically correct and with the right spellings and usage of words. The rest, well, you will have to judge that for yourselves, oh gentle readers. Still aiming for a summer launch, but may wait for the fall, when I anticipate that the first draft of my second book will be done. A nice synchronicity there....Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-26898337240875754362011-04-25T16:31:00.000-07:002011-04-25T16:31:18.985-07:00Converting from WordHaving now received the first 20 odd pages of interior formatted text from CreateSpace, I have a few words of wisdom to pass on. First, never stop proofreading! After uploading my word manuscript, which had been edited by a professional book editor, I spoke with CreateSpace about design options and ideas (where to put the page numbers, choice of fonts, font size, where to start each new chapter and so on) and waited for the first design mock up to arrive as a pdf. It looks quite good, but errors had crept in which were not in the original uploaded manuscript. Fibres had become fibbers, Sobeys had become Sobers, and so on. Also, indents changed from the original uploaded manuscript. I don't know enough about the technology to understand how this happened, but it is important to be aware of. I had blithely assumed that if it was perfect going in as a Word file, it would remain perfect after the formatting as a pdf. WRONG. So, I am accepting the kind offer of another book editor friend of mine to go over the whole thing for me to spot the new errors. This is important, because if the mistakes are the result of their formatting, they are printers errors and you will not be charged for having them corrected. If you change your mind on something however, of course these are author's alterations and you must pay for them to be fixed, and I believe CreateSpace was charging a whopping $5 per change, which could soon add up. Which all goes to show, keep proofreading throughout the process. I would have been devastated to find all these errors once the book was in print, after thinking I had done everything within my power to submit a "perfect' manuscript. On the plus side, CreateSpace has been very helpful, making suggestions for design and also responding to any and all questions. Their community space is also very helpful, with fellow self publishers responding to questions with helpful tips and personal experiences. Until the next proof....Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-86695480034004618042011-04-10T06:10:00.000-07:002011-04-10T06:10:38.790-07:00Out of the drawer and uploaded!!!!Good morning to everyone! My novel is actually out of the drawer and has been uploaded to CreateSpace, along with the cover! It was remarkably easy, and I am taking advantage of their current sale for interior formatting and design. The next time vampire is the IRS. Because there is normally a 30 per cent witholding tax in the US with Amazon, and because Canada has a treaty with the US so that we don't have to pay it, I need a tax identification number for the IRS, which involves a form known as W-7. I have to send that off today and hope they give me a number quickly. I am impressed with the way CreateSpace is set up, very neat and step by step, with explanations, and they have called me a number of times to set up the initial consultation on the interior design but I have always been out, so we have done it all through e-mail and my CreateSpace message centre. So far so good. There was a lengthy design questionnaire which I filled out, and I must say, I was very glad to have done some reading on the subject before I had to fill it in. Also, when I signed on with CreateSpace, they sent me a link to a downloadable book with 555 ways to promote my self published book, which seem very useful. More soon....time to start filling the empty drawer with my second novel, The Third Road, set in 1950s Malaya.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-59164002914257529792011-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:002011-03-28T12:31:35.633-07:00April publication?????I am ashamed to see that it has been weeks since my last entry. However, here is the scoop. I went to Collections Canada and obtained my ISBN, free of charge, and with surprising ease!!!! The interior text has undergone a thorough proofreading. The cover is finished, and I have just discovered a free online barcode generator <a href="http://www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/generator/">http://www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/generator/</a> . Life is good. It is interesting though, with every step of the process, you hit a fork in the road. Current prongs: Canadian price for the barcode, US price, or a generic code which does not indicate price? The latter seems preferable, except the big book chains won't accept them for sale. Hmm. Also, the price itself: 12.95? 14.95? And now, should I take advantage of the current sale at CreateSpace which allows them to design the interior formatting of your book so that it matches the cover? Despite the templates, the formatting seems like the biggest hurdle for me, being completely non-technical and challenged even by how to insert tab stops. Ahem, there, the truth is out. Questions, questions, questions. More answers soon, and I am hoping for publication in April!!!Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-36669923597616979542011-02-08T08:47:00.000-08:002011-02-08T08:47:43.063-08:00Using templatesBeing highly intimidated by the formatting requirements for my manuscript, I was delighted to discover cover and interior templates provided by "tinhorn" through the Lulu site. Check them out at the following link: <a href="http://www.lulu.com/tinhorn">http://www.lulu.com/tinhorn</a> . I was blown away by the ease of using them. I selected the size of book I wanted to publish, went to the interior template, downloaded it for free, then pasted my manuscript in it. Easy. It came out looking great. I changed the justification and the font, but it retained the sizing, as far as I can see, and also allowed me to find out the page count, which I will need to get the ISBN number. Highly recommended, especially for neophyte self publishers. I have not tried the cover templates, because I have a designer looking after the cover, but if they are as easy to use as the interior ones, go for it. Now my head is swirling with questions about the ISBN -- should I create my own or use the CreateSpace ISBN service. Issues seem to be basically -- if I create my own, and remain as the publisher, can I use the same ISBN if the book is picked up by a mainstream publisher (owing to the millions of readers I will have, ha ha ha) or will I need another one, which could screw up pricing, cataloguing, etc. Then there is the question of access to their extended distribution channels. (CreateSpace, that is). If you supply your own, you have less access. Questions questions. More soon....Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-80123937503866560402011-01-24T07:24:00.000-08:002011-01-24T07:24:20.563-08:00Blog girl surfaces!Ah, what price art? I went on a wonderful silent writing retreat at the end of November to work on my second novel, The Third Road, managed to churn out 10,000 words, then got a horrible case of bronchitis which was misdiagnosed twice and so effectively I have been out of commission for almost two months. BUT! Blog girl surfaces from the murky depths of isolation and the right antibiotics to get back in the saddle and back to the publishing extravaganza that is known as "And the seas shall turn to lemonade"! I now have a second wonderful back cover blurb from Diane Schoemperlen, and so I am good to go. Only hitch is that my graphic desgner has gone off to Costa Rica to get married (how thoughtless of him!) and so I need to work on the interior formatting while he is gone, then back to the (back) cover design once he returns. Some of my followers have suggested I look into other self publishing sites than Lulu, for example, CreateSpace, which I will, but I must confess that I have a soft spot in my heart for Lulu, as they came first, and I was impressed with their site and their dedication to producing high quality books. So, that is it for today, but I promise to be blogging more often now that I am well again!Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-90149374497934283792010-11-22T16:38:00.000-08:002010-11-22T16:38:59.767-08:00First back cover blurb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It has been a long time since I posted, but I have been nursing my wounds after having a short story rejected, only to receive a wonderful vote of confidence in my novel from award winning writer Mark Frutkin. After having graciously agreed to read my book from cover to cover, he provided a back cover blurb which I believe will help my book stand out among all the other books out there vying for the attention of potential readers. He closed the blurb by saying "Finely crafted, this is an engaging, uplifting and intelligent novel from beginning to end." Coming from Mark, an author whose work I greatly admire and enjoy, this was a wonderful endorsement. And I am also still bowled over that the three authors I contacted about reading my book were so generous with their time. I am glad that I slowed down my momentum just a trifle in order to undertake this part of the publishing process. I think it will be well worth the slight delay in getting the novel into print. As for the short story, well, I have to admit that I find short stories extremely difficult to write. As they say -- back to the drawing board. I was also pleased that The New Quarterly sent me the reviewer comments. The story had been shortlisted, but ultimately did not make the 3 per cent of stories received that they actually publish. However I can make use of the comments to improve the story, and that, after all, is what it is all about. Cheers -- next post will be about pagination -- whither widows or orphans....Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-56422824728258451102010-10-31T10:32:00.000-07:002010-10-31T10:32:48.868-07:00Back cover quotes -- do I need them?This was to have been the weekend I formatted the text, but after looking over the draft back cover of the book next to a row of published books from well known publishers my husband pointed out what was missing from mine.....quotations from respected writers. I would like to have used some of the quotes from publishers who did not choose to publish it, but I have written to two of them for permission and not heard back. I guess it is a no-win situation for them -- if they agree then they look a) stupid for not having published it or b) stupid for associating themselves with a book they praised but did not publish. Anyway, without losing momentum, I am going to try to find a couple of writers to read the book and provide some pithy comments for the back. Since there still seems to be a bit of a stigma attached to a self-published book, perhaps this will help obviate some of that discomfort among potential readers. My first choices are some of the writers who have been on grant juries who have recommended my writing.....and also writers whose work I like and respect. Next blog -- ISBN numbers and barcodes, latest technical hiccup. Any thoughts?Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-52771357759096988292010-10-22T10:15:00.001-07:002010-10-22T10:27:39.138-07:00Cover design!!!!!!Changing the title to my novel has made a huge difference to the entire process, galvanizing the various energies needed to put the package together. One of those energies involved the cover design -- which seemed to fall into place once I felt comfortable with that all-important title. <em>And the Seas Shall Turn to Lemonade</em> conveyed the right tone and spirit, then I went on istockphotos and cast around for something. Presto, I found this wonderful image of a lemon slice being splashed into water. I gave it to my designer, who knew I was interested in a single arresting image, and a clean spare design, and here is what he came up with. He has not photoshopped anything yet, so eventually the water line will look more like the sea, more wavelike, and with a touch of blue. For the record, to purchase the image cost about $50, Canadian. I chose the largest size, so that it could be used in a poster or a launch invitation. Not all photos would cost this much, but I think an investment in the cover design is a good place to put my money. And although Lulu does have cover templates, I again think that invesing in a real designer is worth the minimal expense. And so, without further ado....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHjfEh_tsalh3GPD6SDYH8hxOUfNL2b0ttOTYupeaAWteMnT-BnL5iE7d51pTut4Tteq4t2gpGM2N4zggil7pQKR_lqgeKlNVVpPF0ahreEK71C8hJcE6ubpWrFpn8ZctF-OMtk06ordg/s1600/New+Image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHjfEh_tsalh3GPD6SDYH8hxOUfNL2b0ttOTYupeaAWteMnT-BnL5iE7d51pTut4Tteq4t2gpGM2N4zggil7pQKR_lqgeKlNVVpPF0ahreEK71C8hJcE6ubpWrFpn8ZctF-OMtk06ordg/s320/New+Image.JPG" width="247" /></a></div>Comments?Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200293019171413604.post-56568777237109148832010-10-13T08:41:00.000-07:002010-10-13T08:41:52.791-07:00Hope for the comic novel!!!!I was delighted to read about Howard Jacobson winning the Man Booker prize for his comic novel, because it was precisely the combination of humour with a literary approach that made potential publishers nervous about "And the seas shall turn to lemonade", according to my agent. No marketing niche for such a book, apparently. And actually, it was Kate Grenville's hilarious novel "The Idea of Perfection" which gave me the courage to let go and be funny, in a literary way, and then I remembered she won the Orange Prize for Fiction for that book in 2001. It is a shame that it is so difficult to publish books which cross genres, but with any luck Howard Jacobson's success will pave the way for more humorous literary books to see their way into the hands of readers. And if you like such books, do look up Kate Grenville's wonderful tale of two unlikely lovers set in Karakarook, New South Wales. And for an update on my progress: I have now completed the final read-through of the manuscript before committing it to the formatting stage...sometimes it is hard to let the baby go. I had not realized that there were a number of small yet significant changes I wished to make before unleasing it into print, and I would highly recommend taking the time you need at this stage: preferably with a book at your side, Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass, which I have found enormously helpful for defining where there may be problems and fixing them.Sandra Nichollshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03091871647264552656noreply@blogger.com0